


Lucifer Sam, Put Paws to My Pain

by NorthwesternInsanity



Category: Music RPF, Pink Floyd
Genre: Cats, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 04:53:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17277428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthwesternInsanity/pseuds/NorthwesternInsanity
Summary: Syd's cat spends the night with Syd on the couch, providing comfort after a freakout in the studio that ends painfully





	Lucifer Sam, Put Paws to My Pain

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a contribution to Ficmas 2018 on Rockfic as a prompt fill for user Duke, who requested a fic with Syd Barrett and cats

Roger Waters had tried to lighten the dark mood swallowing the studio whole when he remarked in a half-joking, half-devastated tone that he could have sworn he saw the old Syd Barrett for a split second. Before everything went awry, at least.

Despite his attempt, it did nothing to dissipate the shock and fear in the air, or the gut-wrenching doom they'd all felt growing overtime, seeing the state Syd was sliding deeper into with each day. 

And his attempt definitely did not change the fact that Syd had quite literally pitched himself across the studio in a fit which none of them could figure out whether it was rage, mental anguish, or pure exhaustion.

Neither Nick, nor David, Rick, or Roger, from the opposite ends of the studio and having different perspectives on it, could tell how Syd had gone shooting and spinning out across the room with his guitar, somehow going airborne and at least a couple of feet off the ground at one point. For a moment, it really had looked like one of his enthusiastic, flamboyant performances he'd made when they were getting started and he was still his bright-eyed, outgoing self.

In perspective, they all knew it wasn't the old Syd peaking through, as much as they wished they could say it was that which led him to do it. On either end of it, Syd still remained Syd who stood locked inside himself and viewing the world through glazed-over eyes.

Whatever the cause -Syd wasn't sure if he even knew what the hell that was all about -it didn't change the fact that Syd ended up ramming his ribs into the corner of a stack of amplifiers when he hadn't been able to slow down and stop the unguided trajectory he'd thrown himself into before crashing. He'd hit so hard that it jostled the wires going from the amp to the guitar, and a harsh squeal resounded through the space that still didn't quite overpower the resounding boom of impact.

Rick was set up right next to the stack. He gratefully repeated over and over again that he hadn't heard a crack to suggest breaking bones as Syd crumpled to the floor, wheezing to regain the wind knocked out of him by the impact and moaning softly as fireworks of pain shot through his side. Despite the positive point Rick made, they all ran to his side in a panic at the little other good that could be taken from his state.

Once the shock wore off, Roger pressed against Syd's ribs to ensure there were no serious breaks, assuring almost too casually that he'd had to check himself more than once after an incident of his own after taking too much acid. Finding nothing that a hospital wouldn't treat any differently than they could by their own devices, he gave Syd paracetamol, ice, and a blunt for good measure -"whether it takes the edge off the pain or not, by chance it might calm you down!" In unanimous agreement, they sent Syd home for the night before any other acts of madness could occur. 

Roger took it upon himself to drive Syd home and see him dissapear through the door of his house to ensure that the act would not be replicated with a car on the road, or going _airborne_ over the side of Syd's front stairs. His bandmates wished they could say that Roger was too high and crazy for his reasoning too, but none could put it beyond Syd with the fear they held for him.

Now Syd lay on the couch in the quiet of his home under a throw blanket. He'd stopped at the couch for the night as his body decided very adamantly that it was not walking any further to get to the bed. Each time his right foot hit the floor, sparks of pain floated up his side and stole his breath away.

The act of breathing while lying down did not hurt, which was the one thing diffusing Syd's second thoughts that he'd really taken it a step too far. Still, he was sore, exhausted, and thankful to have been allowed to go home and be by himself in quiet. His body was buzzing. His head felt floaty, like he couldn't bring his thoughts into one track, and his eyes couldn't focus on anything for more than a few seconds without drifting into space. The noise and movement in the studio was far too much with it.

A creak of floorboards reminded him he wasn't entirely by himself here either. This companion; however, was different.

"Here, puss-puss-puss," Syd called softly.

A mewl echoed around the doorway, and the soft pattering of paw pads on carpet told Syd he was no longer alone in the dark of the room.

_"Puss-puss-puss-puss..."_ Syd weakly scratched his fingernails against the side of the couch.

There was a trill, and suddenly a cat head with glowing eyes in the dark, and two paws materialized over the edge of the couch at Syd's side. The eyes drew Syd's own to them, and they stared back with clarity in the dark. The shape and distinctive red glow Siamese cats possessed told Syd which of his cats had come to visit him.

"Hey, cat."

The cat -Sam -trilled again. With a light, graceful spring, he landed softly beside Syd and twitched his whiskers as he poked Syd's face with his nose.

"I know, I'm back before the crack of dawn tonight; what the bloody hell is this about?"

Taking a deep breath, Syd slid a hand out from the shelter of his blankets and curled it over his chest to reach his fingers to the Sam's head. He rubbed his fingertips behind the ears, scratching the thicker portion at the base.

A light rumble started from the cat's throat, providing a soothing, soft tone in the room. Not loud or jarring, but providing a break in the thick, stifling silence.

"There you go," Syd murmured as the cat tilted his head, pressing his ear deeper against his hand to enjoy the rub until Syd drew his hand back, feeling his right side twinge from keeping his arm extended too long.

Another trill, and Sam nudged his elongated Siamese cat nose against Syd's side, trying to find his hand again. Syd couldn't keep a light whimper from catching in his breath at the sudden touch. 

It didn't hurt, but it was unexpected touch where his side was hypersensitive post-trauma.

"Yeah, Sam; tell me," Syd muttered. "Had to do something fucking stupid tonight."

Sitting tall on his haunches beside Syd, Sam looked down at him and blinked slowly. 

It almost looked like recognition; Syd thought in what felt like a break in the clouds surrounding him.

Blinking as he came out of a lapse of thought, having zoned out, Syd realized that Sam now lay beside him on the space between himself and the edge of the couch. 

His lean, graceful body stretched out impossibly long against Syd; his stomach flush to Syd's injured side. His paws reached just below Syd's chin, and Syd watched as the half-open, slitted eyes slowly blinked at him, and the paws pumped in midair. One flexed, and one curled, then they alternated in a kneading motion.

Huffing out the faintest hint of a chuckle, Syd curled his left forearm around from underneath himself and resumed his stroking, which led to an exaggeration of the kneading motion. It was relaxing to watch almost as much as the rhythmic stroking his left hand settled into. 

Left paw curling in, then extending out as the right curled in. _Left, right... left, right... In, out... in, out..._

With another trill, Sam finally contracted his body in and tucked himself against Syd's injured side to sleep -gentle enough that it didn't hurt, but with enough pressure that Syd felt the warmth permeating the blankets and soothing the aches.

His paws rested on Syd's chest, just below the region where a large bruise had spread to mark the sensitivity, and the gentle rhythm of kneading through the blanket -thick enough to protect from the extension and contraction of claws with the kneading -lulled Syd off to sleep as he kept his hand in the thick, soft fur.

When Syd woke up hours later, sun was streaming in through the crack in the curtains, and Sam was still curled against his side, asleep. A pleasant warmth that only came from a cat's body heat had warmed the blankets over him, leaving him in a small pocket of warm safety from the world in his spot on the couch.

Sam became aware of Syd's waking and woke up too, just as Roger Waters walked into the room. 

Syd realized he must not have locked his door, and Roger must have been feeling enough of a snoop to try the door when he didn't answer while in his sleep. _The bloody idiot..._

It was difficult to get but so mad though, or stay mad when Sam began rubbing his cheek into his hand; nudging with his narrow nose and purring until Syd gave in and resumed the calming stroking he'd fallen asleep to.

"Lucifer Sam, are you loving on Syd?" teased Roger.

Syd turned his head to look up and cast an evil side eye at Roger, which he accentuated with a sarcastic snort, then turned back and continued to stroke Sam's fur with a faint smirk.

"Alright, I see you didn't bite the dust overnight," Roger remarked facetiously. "We'll figure on finishing up later; and yes, I'll do you the bloody damn favor and lock the door when I leave."

Syd smirked again when the door clicked shut behind Roger and Sam rolled over on him, displaying the extra soft fur on his underbelly and holding his paws beneath his chin in a folded position that mimicked a cartoon rabbit. He too, looked pleased to be once again, alone to his quiet moment with Syd.

Pulling his hands under the blanket and sliding them down against his right side, Syd pressed lightly against his ribs.

The pain had miraculously disappeared overnight.


End file.
